Xbox 720 to use always-on DRM? It would doom the console

Rumors have recently resurfaced that the next Xbox will employ DRM that requires you to be online before you can access your games, whether it be for the purpose offline play or not. If true, it seems Microsoft would be releasing its next flagship piece of hardware with an install base of angry users, perhaps dooming the console from its beginning.

Most forms of offline-based DRM have been defeated soon after it has been released. When a DRM is so aggressive that it was difficult to actually bypass, it tends to hurt legitimate customers, who ironically then have to turn to piracy in order to play (or fix) their legitimately purchased title. So, as the internet became more prominent, clever developers realized that a relatively easy way to employ effective DRM is to require a user to be connected to the developer’s own servers in order to authenticate, generally referred to as always-on DRM. Though relatively rare due to the inherent flaw of the internet not always being available, always-on DRM causes an enormous ruckus whenever a game employs it, regardless of what game. Now, rumors have resurfaced that Microsoft’s next Xbox will use a form of always-on DRM, requiring users to be connected to the internet at all times in order to play games. The rumor, whether true or not, is nuts either way.

If false, the rumor is nuts because of just how much of a stretch it is. The developer of a platform that runs a multitude of software unrelated to each other — and software that, on the whole, focuses primarily on offline play — would never create such a barrier to entry. Whether or not the replay value of a console game relies on the online play, games that are only comprised of online play are few and far between. The console gaming industry isn’t yet at point where it’s teetering on the edge of offering online-only experiences and needs something (like a new console from a major developer) to push it over. Though the internet is extremely prevalent in modern-day life, it’s not at the point where it is expected to be available anywhere you go. You aren’t flabbergasted if a clothing store or restaurant doesn’t offer internet connectivity. If the internet isn’t expected to be available everywhere, then Microsoft can’t expect everyone to have access to it. By cutting out whatever portion of gamers either don’t have internet access or don’t have their consoles connected, Microsoft will be arbitrarily cutting out a portion of people that would’ve otherwise given it money. With games breaking sales records left and right, it’s not like piracy or the used games market is actually hitting the console gaming industry so hard that console developers need to cut out a portion of its market in order to protect the rest of it. On top of that, as we’ve seen, always-on DRM induces rage, and making everyone mad isn’t the best way to garner good will for a product launch.

If true, then that’s just as crazy — not because of how much of a stretch it is, but because of just how much Microsoft would be hurting itself by releasing an always-on DRM console. Whether or not you like Microsoft’s decisions, services, or products, the company wouldn’t be where it is today if it were stupid. Generally, a successful company wants a product to be successful, and makes it as available as possible — it’s common sense. Arbitrarily limiting that availability goes against the most basic of business practices, especially when the product already has a barrier of affordability.

Yet, would you really — truly — be surprised if Microsoft (or Sony, for that matter) launched its next console with always-on DRM? Microsoft already has unpopular ideals regarding online functionality by making you pay to play online with Xbox Live Gold. MMOs are more prominent than they’ve ever been and they can only be played online. Steam has made a large population of gamers at ease with a digital library. Both Ubisoft and Blizzard have resorted to always-on DRM for some of their games. So, perhaps Microsoft feels that now is the time to do something as drastic as not allowing its gamers to play video games if a storm knocks out their modem for a bit.

as Eugene answered I didn’t even know that a stay at home mom able to earn $6279 in one month on the inetwork.

http://twitter.com/JanieMartin12 JanieMartin

…..—-goo.gl/vE33C (Home more information)

Stephan Van der Merwe

Always on will only force gamers back to the PC, where piracy is easier, and you can just hop around the silly always on DRM issue. So yes, go ahead M$ (and Sony for that matter), shoot yourselves in the foot and shrink your share of the pie. If you want to curb piracy, you should release games that are actually worth playing, at a reasonable price, and without day one DLC (yes EA, that punch is meant for you).

I for one bought Mass Effect 3 for R600 (after playing 1 and 2), and told everyone that I knew were gamer, that if there’s a game deserving of your money, that it will be ME3. After finishing it though, I wished that I had just pirated the entire series and saved myself R1800 (roughly $200) in the process.

afsdg

The only game worth your money is Grand Theft Auto. I’d pay a $100 for it, no problem.

Pixzule

Matter of opinion.

AcAnimate

Sony’s PS4 is NOT going to be always on…… they have officially confirmed it

Stephan Van der Merwe

True, but at the time of writing my comment they had not. /facepalm

Robert

The example you give, Diablo 3, STILL sold like a gazillion copies. No, always on DRM won’t doom a console, all the idiots will still buy it anyway.

Stephan Van der Merwe

that might be true, but how many of those Diablo 3 fans were burned as a result and are still playing the game? then again, idiots will make the same mistake twice.

hohopig

Sold on hype. How many of these players are still playing eh? :) It only goes to shows that many players has been burnt by their shenanigan and a big portion of these will be more wary of blizzard product from now on.

And I for one, am the one laughing at my friends as I hold out and resisted buying it on impulse and ended up paying a third of the price and getting even more enjoyment out of Torchlight 3. Especially when it seems that D3 is back to the good old grinding formula with a vengence.

Dice

I’ve played d3 for about 1k hours now and i just now stopped playing it when tera went free 2 play but i will be back to d3 in the future i just might wait a few patches. I think the game is real good now ever since paragon and mp lvls. The latest patch ruined it a bit though with craftables that is best in slot, there should always be legendary drops that are better only that they should be vry rare.

paleh0rse

I’m one of the suckers who got burned. I played it for a grand total of two weeks! Considering I played the original for YEARS, that pretty much says it all… :(

Alfred

I started reading this site because it had insightful articles that were more technical and in-depth than most in tech journalism, but lately all I see are shallow opinion pieces declaring why X or Y product is doomed to fail. What happened?

VirtualMark

Yeah i used to enjoy reading the 3d rendering articles and different benchmarks. Now they seem to cover any crap.

Stephen Hale

The downfall of tech blogs. They all want to report on something but actually doing research or real journalism is too much work.

Vidya Wasi

Most of them already gets paid and told what to say in the reviews already.
This isn’t much of a leap that they will do this.

“The more you pay the more you get to play” – Random prostitute

AFAIK they are not even legally defined as journalists so they do not have to be truthful. They will not get punished if they get caught.

http://www.mrseb.co.uk/ Sebastian Anthony

You must not be reading all the stories, then! Don’t pick and choose!

hohopig

Mmm If MS do this stupid thing, best thing customer can do is vote with their wallet .. and buy a product from their competitor. Just the mention of Always On DRM leaves a bad taste in my mouth, especially after the debacle inflicted on their customer base by Bad Old Blizzard.

Vidya Wasi

Consumers doing the right thing?!
“Cool the new halo game but it’s for the evil new xbox. Fuck it i’ll buy it”

If consumers could do the right thing than diablo 3 would have been a flop.

Companies are to big to make them respect that not everyone got unlimited internet and 100% uptime. What about those unlucky bastards with capped connection?
Always on drm will surely chip away at that.

It would be nice if a law told companies they can not use always on DRM or any other protection that requires and assumes you have internet connection.

Consumer-rights damn it !

Discrimination is what this is!

If electricity goes down you can use a generator. If internet goes down you are stuck without options.

Some of my friends and me sometimes take our computers out in the woods to play and party like crazy.
It is in the middle of nowhere. No internet connection. We barely have electricity.

All these protections have destroyed such good and fun get-togethers.

We can’t play the games.

I remember we played diablo 2 continually for a week on time.
We can’t do that with diablo 3. We would want too though.

The moment i see DRM i go rage for how much of misery it have caused me and others.
Playing games is a social thing in our group whether it is single-play or coop.

We also like the house in the woods. No neighbors, no trolling people with cameras.
Just full on party time and fun with friends no holding back.

Such times have become less and less because the games do not run without internet.

Where is the legal system now when the companies stomp all over the little people?
If the legal system will not protect me and will only protect companies unjustifiable scientifically proven wrong reasons for protections than i will not have anything to do with it.

Frack you companies, i’ll pirate your games instead and flaunt it up in your face!
I’ve even helped and used my malware analyst skills to crack your protections.

When i see a game that required internet to play than i start up my tools and begin working.

Simon Lee

how did the music industry went from DRM to free of DRM? but gaming industry is a total opposite? how did that happened?

Stephen Hale

It is more likely that Microsoft is planning online DRM similar to stream on preparation for online distribution of games.

Adam Acuo

I think that today’s so called “journalists” just repeat whatever they’ve read on some other site and then post, repost and re-repost. I would expect that the DRM from Microsoft and Sony is going to be similar (as in exactly the same) as Steam – meaning that the games are logged to your gamertag or userID – that you can transfer them from machine to machine under your gamertag but that “lending” or “selling” or “gifting” games will be restricted under most circumstances. If it’s good enough for Valve – and most of you guys don’t complain about Steam – then why would a similar system on the Xbox cause you to poop your diapers in dispair?

Vidya Wasi

Steam IS bad but there isn’t much you can do about it. Big company vs little people.

In steam and other such products you do not have any right to your games. If they decide you are not allowed to play that game anymore they can remove it without any legal penalties.
Will be funny what happens when the license rights to the games run out. Will they still be playable on steam?

What will happen to old games?

Steams “backup solution” do not even work.

Valve can even hold your games ransom until you pay a fee. Nothing you can do about it.

Companies have changed the laws and public views on what is consumer rights. That is consumers do not have any rights.

Should i even mention there is no oversight? Nothing that keeps these companies from things like price fixing, follow consumer rights, etc

Even companies exploit the internet with its lack of good laws that will protect individuals from exactly crap like this.

The law system needs to catch up before it is too late, if it is not too late already.
And before big companies have the chance to corrupt the laws for the internet completely.

My prediction of the internet is pretty dark.
I’d say its pretty much fucked already.

Companies have already done irreparable harm to it through various means.
All for greed.

Companies will probably run the planet some day as in one of those dark scifi movies.

I’m grateful i probably will not be alive to see that day come.

http://www.facebook.com/andrea.hudgens Andrea Hudgens

Steam has an offline mode! All the arguments about steam being always online are invalid.

JDRahman

Microsoft has been making all the wrong decisions lately. So 1 more wouldn’t be surprising.

http://twitter.com/mattharesign Matt Haresign

I for one won’t buy if it’s true. I’ll be happy enough with an Ouya for mega bucks less.

Guest

So, if Sony and Microsoft put always-on DRM on their next consoles, Microsoft will be winner regardless since they control the PC?

z3razerviper

No ms does not get software royalties from PC apps like it does the xbox

some_guy_said

I’m betting from the rumors and the business perspective, that Sony and MS are both including always on DRM as a baked in OPTION for games to use. Nearly as evil as the rumor above, but letting them weasel their way out of the staunch position that you can’t play games without an internet connection because we need to check up on you.

cohara1103

Sony has already said no to DRM

some_guy_said

They hadn’t clearly responded to the rumor at the time I posted this comment 2 MONTHS AGO oh brilliant one…

Strobeffect

Windows 8 then this sort of $h!T!? What they heck is wrong with you guys!? Are the MS executives tripping on salvia or what!? Microsoft sure is deaf to its consumers… I’m hoping Microsoft stocks plummet so hard that Ballmer or “Balmy” as some call him gets the damn boot soon…

wolfmeister

a few days ago i was cleaning out some shelves and found my old boxed Unreal Tourmament (ut99) so i installed it again for a laugh and to my surprise found tons of UT servers online and people still playing. So i had a search or two on the genre to see what new games there might be in the genre, and found ‘Quake Live’. It’s a 100% free game which runs in your browser, does fullscreen, you can set your player, weapon key binds, movement keys etc as you like. The worlds are very detailed. Brilliant and free, & plenty of people to play with. Give it a go. Games seem to be becoming more about increased graphics detail and less about gameplay.

John Pombrio

Geez, half of my games that I play have online DRM and I don’t even notice anymore. I donno how a gamer could even run a PC without online support, drivers, updates. Imagine trying to get an update via a DVD these days? I have to assume that having internet access is a requirement now of pretty much any PC and not a stretch for a console game.
This IS the future, get used to it.

John Pombrio

Geez, half of my games that I play have online DRM and I don’t even notice anymore. I donno how a gamer could even run a PC without online support, drivers, updates. Imagine trying to get an update via a DVD these days? I have to assume that having internet access is a requirement now of pretty much any PC and not a stretch for a console game.
This IS the future, get used to it.

Stephan Van der Merwe

You still don’t get the point. There are still a lot of people throughout the world that don’t have fixed line internet. On D3, various people tried playing using their 3G/HSDPA connection, but due to the high latency and jitter, they still experienced issues when playing what’s supposedly a single player game. Considering that mobile access is overtaking fixed line access in many developing countries, always online DRM will certainly lock out that market if they do it in the same manner as D3. “This IS the future, get used to it”, no it isn’t.

John Pombrio

Geez, half of my games that I play have online DRM and I don’t even notice anymore. I donno how a gamer could even run a PC without online support, drivers, updates. Imagine trying to get an update via a DVD these days? I have to assume that having internet access is a requirement now of pretty much any PC and not a stretch for a console game.
This IS the future, get used to it.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1363021071 Calvin Garcia

il never buy this what will happen if it brake on you have to buy all game agin another way to controlle you and tell how to spend your money im never buying a console in my life il never support console no more all they want it to spy on you and control how you spend you money fuck console’s im a pc gamer for life there be a time they will die

http://www.facebook.com/Joshka89 Joshua Selvidge

Yeah I won’t buy it if it has always on drm. I’ll just pirate the games on the pc if I really want them.
Diablo 3 made me mad with that crap, and I returned the game unopened and pirated one that uses a fake server for drm so I could play on the train, where there’s no Internet.
I understand wanting to stop piracy but companies don’t realize that the harder they push, the more people pirate in order to get what they want: a well priced for quality game that isn’t a hassle to play. No one wants to dick around with internet connections to play single player. And no one wants to spend $60 on a disappointment (Diablo 3, Black Ops II, I’m looking at you)

http://www.facebook.com/Joshka89 Joshua Selvidge

Also, I steam has offline mode so you can still play without internet after you’ve installed a game.
And you can still use it with pirated games if you set it up right

cohara1103

If this is true i dont need more MS headaches after what i read about diablo and sim city count me out…..DRM is a bad idea, at least sony has come out and said no to DRM so thats a plus

Leonel Gonzalez

This argument is false, look at the wireless phone industry, all smart phone required a data plan and always online. That didn’t stop the adoption rate or people from paying extra for the data plans. An always on Xbox could download all system updates, games updates, download new game releases that you have prepaid all while you are sleeping.

This can sound funny when no one can know that the PlayStation and Xbox was going to retire. Because the both game systems like PlayStation and Xbox tie. So they don`t know who won the game system battle for real. Because everyone is fighting over the game system battle. When i found out about the PlayStation and Xbox is going to retire, i said well, i hope they do. Because we don`t need to have this game system battle anymore.

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